


I feel it... in my soul: Five times Artie and Brittany were moved by the power of art, and one time they didn't get it.

by el_em_en_oh_pee



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-02
Updated: 2011-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-16 21:34:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/169576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/el_em_en_oh_pee/pseuds/el_em_en_oh_pee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Artie and Brittany are extremely hipster. For my bffl Justine <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	I feel it... in my soul: Five times Artie and Brittany were moved by the power of art, and one time they didn't get it.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [capitol_barbie](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=capitol_barbie).



> I've never actually read Kerouac and I know nothing about ballet.

  
(1)  
It's in English class freshman year when Brittany realizes that the Artie kid in the wheelchair is totally her soulmate. They're doing a unit on poetry, and almost everything Ms Frobisher has been covering is completely lame, because seriously who can even understand John Donne? Like, ew, really?

Anyway, they're on the second day of Donne and everyone is basically falling asleep when Artie raises a hand and asks if he can recite a poem. When Ms Frobisher nods, Artie clears his throat – Brittany expects him to stand up for about two seconds before she remembers that he can't – and says, "This is a poem that really moves me and it is by a man called e. e. cummings."

Amidst sniggers from the rest of the class at the poet's name, Artie starts his recitation, and proceeds to rock Brittany's world. She had _no idea_ that poetry could be so… so… so touching.

After class, Brittany is walking with her two best friends, Quinn and Santana. Still riding the high of amazing poetry, she says, "I think I'm going to talk to that Artie kid."

"But that's, like, social suicide," Quinn points out, raising an eyebrow at Brittany. "He's a nerd and stuff. And you're a Cheerio." Which is a good point, Brittany thinks.

"Anyway, that poem was completely retarded," Santana adds, giggling.

"Shut up, you- you- you Santanasaurus Rex!" Brittany says, outraged that her best friend could be so closeminded and illiterate.

Santana's face softens as she looks at B, though there's still a laugh hidden somewhere in her lips. "You really liked it, huh," she says, slinging an arm over Britt's shoulders, and giving her the look that Brittany knows means Santana would press a kiss to the corner of her mouth, if they weren't in the middle of a hallway in school.

"Yes," Brittany says, still feeling defensive.

"That's okay," Santana says, after considering Brittany's response for a moment. "But seriously. Quinny's right about talking to Wheels."

  
(2)  
They're on a field trip to the Columbus Museum of Art, and Brittany is completely poleaxed by a [Klimt](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Gustav_Klimt_021.jpg) on loan from the Tate Modern.

There's a slight press of rubber on tile behind her, then someone says, "Oh," in a way that Brittany totally understands to mean they're experiencing the exact same thing she is. She turns her head slightly – enough to see who it is, but not enough to take the painting out of her line of vision – and Artie is there, slack-jawed. "God," Artie says, on an exhalation, so Brittany is pretty sure he doesn't know he said it.

"This is probably the most amazing thing I've seen all year," she tells him, gaze now re-focused on the gorgeous work of art in front of her. "It makes me think of wanting to break free of everything holding you back, even though you love it and even though everyone around you is happy with the situation and you really are too, just because you want to know what it's like outside. To be free."

"I'm pretty sure you just read my mind," Artie says, behind her. She backs up a few steps so they're standing – well, sitting, in his case – next to each other.

"That's not my superpower," Brittany tells him, and he laughs, even though she wasn't really joking. Brittany's superpower is getting away with things, like actually knowing stuff when everyone thinks she doesn't just because she used to eat crayons in kindergarten in the hopes that she'd be able to poop in different colors.

"Well," Artie says, "Whatever your superpower is, Klimt's superpower was being pretty damn amazing."

And Brittany agrees: "Word."

  
(3)  
Brittany guesses it's okay to talk to nerds now that she's in Glee Club, especially when they are also in Glee Club, so when she sees Artie with a copy of _On The Road_ one day, she walks over to him.

"That book," she says, and stops, because he's giving her an incredulous expression. "What?"

"Nothing," Artie says, shaking himself a bit. "What about the book?"

"It's only one of my favorites in the entire world!"

"Wait, you've read Kerouac?" Artie asks, like he doesn't really believe her.

" _Duh_." Artie still looks suspicious, so Brittany says, "Stuff like that quote, the one that goes 'The floors of bus stations are the same all over the country, always covered with butts and spit and they give a feeling of sadness that only bus stations have?' It speaks to me. It moves me in my soul. Also it's true."

Artie's expression has changed. He's now looking at her like she's the best thing since Mondrian. "Do you ever count minutes and subtract miles?" he asks, tentatively.

"Only like every day," she tells him, ignoring the way that Santana is totally rolling her eyes in the row behind him. "Especially when Coach has us do laps."

She can't read his facial expression at this point – maybe amused, maybe perplexed, maybe astounded? Whatever. Anyway, he's gesturing for her to take the chair next to him, even though Tina's just come into the room and Brittany is pretty sure they're dating or something.

She takes the seat.

  
(4)  
On their first date, Brittany and Artie go to see _Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari_ , playing during a throwback weekend at the local indie cinema.

"This _set_ ," Artie breathes, as the movie starts, completely agape. He translate the dialogue for Brittany – the intertitles are in German, which is his chosen foreign language. Brittany mostly understands them without that – living with an emphatically Dutch father certainly rubs off on a girl, and the languages are relatively similar, but she doesn't tell him because, well, the point of a secret superpower is that it stays secret.

"This is possibly the most phenomenal movie I have ever seen," Brittany whispers, as Cesare goes lumbering up a particularly well-crafted staircase. "Even better than _The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T_. Which is pretty legit for a movie."

"You are the most amazing girl," Artie whispers back. "With the absolute best taste in movies."

"I know," Brittany says, smugly.

It's when B corrects Artie on his translation of an intertitle that she realizes she's let something important slip.

"You're really actually smart, aren't you?" Artie asks, then grimaces. "That came out wrong."

"I get lost in sewers, Artie," Brittany says – completely honestly, because she did get lost in the sewers for a couple hours last summer. "I'm not that smart. I'm just good at languages and stuff."

"Well," Artie replies, after an awkward pause in which Cesare is completely stricken by Jane's beauty. "In any case, you have really great taste in a lot of things. Like boyfriends. So you're definitely not dumb."

Which is… not that flattering of a thing to say, but Britt lets it slide, and as the movie reaches its dramatic twist ending, she slips her hand in Artie's and lets the magic of true art wash over her.

  
(5)  
During intermission for the Columbus Ballet's interpretation of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, Artie buys Brittany peanut m&ms, and they talk about the difference in dancing style between the Big Blue Meanies and the Beatles, neoclassical forms for the former, Balanchine method for the latter. The townsfolk definitely adhere to the Cecchetti method.

Brittany crunches through an M&M, then lets the chocolate rest on her tongue until it melts before chewing the peanut. "I am just completely blown away," she announces, then swallows the masticated candy. "I had no idea that Yellow Submarine could be successfully balletized. Is balletized a word?"

"It should be," Artie says, as he divides the M&Ms by color and slowly eats his way through all the green ones. "I'm especially impressed by their use of color and movement in conjunction with the use of sound. It really emphasizes the ballet in a way that is reminiscent of the acid-trippy movie classic it's based on."

"Yeah, they also have really great form," Brittany agrees. She takes another M&M – a blue one – and sticks it in her mouth, sucking the sweetness instead of chewing. Talking around the candy, she says, "You know what I'd really like to see? A ballet inspired by a medley of Ke$ha's music."

Artie stares at her. "You rock my gypsy soul," he says, solemnly, and then leans over to give her a chocolatey kiss.

  
(6)  
Somehow, Mr Schue has decided to inspire them all by writing a song specifically for the club. "I worked really hard on this, guys," he tells them. "It's my artistic contribution to the world, so I hope you like it."

Brittany has been sitting on the floor in front of Artie, trying to teach him how to braid her hair, but when Mr Schuester starts singing, she moves to an actual chair, straddling it back to front. About halfway through the first verse, Artie taps her on the arm to get her attention, and she leans over.

"Are you getting any of this?" Artie asks, whispering. It's a sincere question, so Britt gives him a sincere answer.

"I have absolutely no idea what's going on," she tells him. Over his shoulder, Rachel is beaming and swaying to the song, which is – unsurprising, honestly, if Brittany actually thinks about it.

He grins at her. "Okay, good," he says. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"We could probably ask Rachel what it means?" Brittany suggests, because Rachel's just moved a hand to her heart.

"Uh, no," Artie says, immediately. "In English today, she said that _Howl_ was a waste of textbook space and suggested we study Stephen Sondheim's contributions to literature instead."

Brittany shudders. "God deliver us from the unenlightened."

"Amen," Artie says, heartily. It's louder than the rest of their conversation has been, and Mr Schue's song has just finished, apparently. He looks pleased at Artie's praise.

They decide not to correct him.

**Author's Note:**

> ryanseacrest.com/2011/02/28/world-premiere-listen-to-glee-star-matthew-morrisons-debut-single-summer-rain-audio/ this monstrosity is obviously Will's contribution to art.
> 
>  
> 
> [lj](http://el_em_en_oh_pee.livejournal.com) | [tumblr](http://dulosis.tumblr.com)


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